Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 582 › Conversation 582-005

Nixon & Bull on Press relations and Photography

Thursday, September 30, 1971 · 2:50 PM–2:54 PM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation582-005 on Tape 582 (tape position 00:27:38–00:29:23)StartThursday, September 30, 1971 at 2:50 PMEndThursday, September 30, 1971 at 2:54 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 582-005 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull reviewed the presidential schedule to coordinate upcoming meetings with Souvanna Phouma, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, and Southern Democrat Congressmen. Nixon directed Bull to restrict press access and photography, specifically ordering that he not be photographed with these guests. Instead, he instructed that photographer Oliver Atkins take individual photos for distribution to minimize time constraints and eliminate unnecessary press contact.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 168.6 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 33.1 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 00:27:38 into the tape and ends around 00:29:23.

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
27:42There will be no press figures on the phone.
27:48We're going to have to quit all that acting and get the hell out.
27:55I put in back to 3.30.
27:58Because these Congressmen are not here tonight.
28:00They just are getting their hands on the reins.
28:03They're arriving now at the right time.
28:05So not only will we get $3.30 in the last half hour, and also the same with Hume, there'll be no press fiction.
28:14Just don't get one.
28:18Because of the time, unless Hume...
28:27Well, just tell the program that I just think we just don't need any pictures of them.
28:32And we haven't got the time.
28:34And there's no compromise.
28:36I don't want any of them with him for any reason.
28:38As far as he has to have one, he can have one with you.
28:41But I really don't want one with me.
28:43Let Ollie take a picture of each.
28:44He can distribute what they want.
28:48And get them out.
28:48All right, Ron, just another question.
28:58Let's go.

NARA Description

On September 30, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:50 pm and 2:54 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 582-005 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 582-005

Date: September 30, 1971
Time: Unknown between 2:50 pm and 2:54 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

     The President's schedule
          -Meeting with Souvanna Phouma
                -Press photos
                      -Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
                -Time
          -Meeting with Southern Democrat Congressmen
                -Arrival
          -Phouma
                -Length of meeting
          -Meeting with Sir Alexander F. (“Alec”) Douglas-Home
                -Press photo
          -Press photographs
                -Ronald L. Ziegler
          -Press
                -Photo opportunity
                      -Phouma
                      -Douglas-Home
                           -Atkins
          -Meeting with Congressmen

The President and Bull left at 2:54 pm.

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

Also recorded on September 30, 1971

  • 010-038 2:12 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo talked on the telephone from 2:12 pm to 2:15 pm.
  • 010-039 2:15 PM · 24 sec — Alexander P. Butterfield, White House operator, and Toni Sidley talked on the telephone on an unknown date, sometime between 2:15 pm on September 30, 1971 and 8:56 am on October 5, 1971.
  • 582-001 2:15 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:15 pm and 2:22 pm.
  • 582-002 2:22 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:22 pm and 2:50 pm.
  • 582-003 2:25 PM · 20 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:25 pm to 2:50 pm.
  • 582-004 2:50 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:50 pm and 2:54 pm.
  • 078-003 2:54 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Democratic Congressmen from the South, including Tom Bevill, Omar Burleson, William M. Colmer, David N. Henderson, Alton A. Lennon, George H. Mahon, Olin E. ("Tiger") Teague, Joe D. Waggonner, Jr., John D. Ehrlichman, George P. Shultz, Clark MacGregor, and Richard K. Cook, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 2:54 pm to 3:35 pm.
  • 582-006 3:38 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Souvanna Phouma, Prince Khammao, Alex Toumayan, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:38 pm to 4:10 pm.

All 28 conversations from September 30, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 582-005, September 30, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/582-005 (accessed September 28, 2026).